Let much rejoicing commence; Devil May Cry 5 has finally had Denuvo anti-tamper software removed from the title by Capcom. This is the second title in recent history that Capcom has removed the anti-tamper protections for, with the title prior being Resident Evil 2.
As it seems that Capcom is developing a penchant for this when the title reaches the end of their shelf-life, or at least it slows in sales, it’s likely that Monster Hunter: World will one day get the same treatment. Ideal, as many have theorized that it’s the inclusion of anti-tamper and anti-cheat software that has brought the 1.4 patch (that brought Iceborne) into the realm of almost being unplayable, as background tasks would maximize CPU usage regardless of the processor you had.
It’s worth mentioning that Devil May Cry 5 actually had an executable leaked back when it first launched that had zero DRM software, and it was largely considered to offer far more performance than the official retail version. In reality, various publishers have run tests endlessly comparing versions of titles both with and without Denuvo, and the difference is largely minimal.
This then may beg the question of why Denuvo is almost universally hated, along with the vast majority of DRM software being included in modern-day offerings. The easiest answer is to simply blurt ‘piracy!’ and how the entirety of the PC base is apparently pirates who won’t purchase a title if it doesn’t offer DRM. This is unlikely due to multiple instances of developers releasing official torrents for their titles, and ending up with a surprising boost to sales.
The more probable answer is far less sinister: games simply disappear when DRM companies do, and there’s no recourse available for legitimate purchasers. This was the story with Disney’s Tron, as Disney saw no point in furthering their contract with SecuROM. Thus, legitimate owners of the title can no longer play, as the application’s attempt to verify legitimate ownership with SecuROM is denied.
For all intents and purposes, the game is now completely dead and unplayable, due to DRM.
It isn’t the first title to reach an unplayable status as a multitude of suits attempt to manage their way around what video game culture is and is not, and it apparently continues to elude the masses. It also won’t be the last title that slips into the realm of gone and forgotten, regardless of whether or not people are paying for the title.
If a title you like was developed by a studio that disappears, don’t be too surprised when you can’t play that one either. For now, let’s all celebrate the small victories.
